Resident Doctors Vow to Proceed with Strike Despite Legal Restraint

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..says, resident doctors were undeterred by the injunction,

ABUJA, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has reaffirmed its decision to proceed with the nationwide strike slated for January 12, despite an interim injunction issued by the National Industrial Court restraining the action.

NARD President, Dr. Mohammad Suleiman, said the planned industrial action could only be halted by the union’s National Executive Council (NEC), stressing that the court order had not changed the position of the association.

Earlier on Friday, the National Industrial Court in Abuja barred NARD and two of its officials from embarking on any industrial action from January 12, 2026. The order was issued by Justice E. D. Subilim in a suit marked NICN/ABJ/06/2026, filed by the Federal Government and the Attorney-General of the Federation against the association, its president, Dr. Suleiman, and the General Secretary, Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim.

However, speaking later on Channels Television, Suleiman said resident doctors were undeterred by the injunction, accusing the Federal Government of negotiating in bad faith. He recalled that NARD had suspended an earlier strike in November 2025 after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on November 27, but claimed the government failed to honour key aspects of the agreement.

According to him, the strike earlier scheduled for December 27 was first postponed by the NEC and later extended into the new year to allow further engagement, only for the union to learn through social media, of a court injunction and reports of “no work, no pay” directives.

“When negotiations are ongoing, they should be carried out in good faith. Once you begin to deploy legal threats and sanctions, it shows a lack of sincerity,” Suleiman said.

Asked whether the strike would still commence in spite of the court ruling, he maintained that it would go ahead unless the NEC decided otherwise. He added that talks with the Federal Government were still ongoing and expressed hope that the dispute could be resolved before the strike deadline.

“We are still in discussions with the government team. I am hopeful that meaningful progress can be made between now and Sunday,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) chapter of NARD has thrown its weight behind the planned action. In a statement, LASUTH-ARD President, Dr. Akerele Alaba, said resident doctors at the hospital would comply fully with the directive of the national body to resume the “Total Indefinite and Comprehensive Strike 2.0,” tagged ‘No Implementation, No Going Back’.

He accused the Federal Government of failing to meet its obligations under the agreement, noting that several demands had been ignored, altered, or only partially implemented. Alaba said the decision followed resolutions reached at NARD’s Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting held virtually on January 2, 2026.